Sweden's premature recognition of the State of Palestine will have repercussions far beyond Scandinavia. Sweden is considered a flag-bearer of human rights, and many countries across Europe respond to its cues. The risk is that other countries in the E.U. may soon want to follow suit.

Implied in his words, and those of other government leaders, is that the Jewish community would be better off -- and safer in their own country -- if they condemned Israel's actions outright. This is where things get dicey.

These three young men were killed by hateful people who had no regard for humanity or the values of life treasured by most. Until the world truly understands this evil and acts to combat it, cultures of hate like those responsible for taking the lives of Naftali, Eyal and Gilad will sadly continue to flourish.

Dr. King famously said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." The Civil Rights Act changed the face of the nation, bending the arc sharply on July 2, 1964. But much work remains. On the 50-year anniversary of its passage, let us rededicate ourselves to the task of building a fairer, more just society.

Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ was a passion of hate. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's new film, Son of God, slated to arrive in theaters nationwide on February 28, is the true anti-Gibson. From start to finish, theirs is a much more sensitive effort.

Anti-Semitism has characteristics like other forms of bigotry in terms of stereotyping, alienation from the other, and discrimination. But what makes it different, and which goes a long way to explain anomalous things about anti-Semitism is the core of the anti-Semitic idea.

The history of Poland and the Jews is a lot more complicated than some would have it. Still, the power of anti-Semitism in modern Poland is real and never has it so brilliantly been portrayed as in the Polish film Aftermath, which recently came to the United States.

Clearly, we must remain vigilant against the threat of anti-Semitism. But the constant use of the accusation against anyone that we feel is insufficiently pro-Israel (including members of our own community) or against anyone we disagree with is foolish and damaging.

In recent years, Hollywood, for better or worse, has played a significant role in educating the public about the Holocaust and its contemporary implications. This is why The Book Thief is an important new contribution to the Holocaust film genre.

Today, offensive caricatures are no longer prevalent, public figures cannot utter ethnic slurs without repercussions, and numerous college sports teams have moved away from names that evoke negative stereotypes. And yet, a vestige of that insensitive tradition remains.

For decades, the type of anti-Semitism and extreme anti-Israel sentiment found in the show "Khaiber" has been rampant throughout the Arab media. Such blatant and ubiquitous contempt for the Jewish people has helped fuel a culture of hatred within Muslim and Arab societies.

While it is a marvelous medium for education, communication, entertainment and commerce, the ways in which the Internet is being used to disseminate and promote hateful and violent beliefs and attitudes are astounding, varied and continually multiplying.

One of the most disturbing and paradoxically important questions to arise out of the ashes of the Holocaust is not so much the question of why six million Jews and millions of others were systematically annihilated, but the question of "what if... ?"

While we are several generations removed from the Holocaust, there is still new information coming to light about this dark period in European Jewish history. This makes it even more difficult to find humor from such tragedy.

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, which officially takes effect on February 28, brings to a sudden and unexpected close a remarkable eight-year period of very positive relations between the Vatican and the Jewish people.

The onus is now on the Palestinians to make the right choice and to return to negotiations. The alternative will leave the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unresolved and festering with no framework in place to negotiate the issues.